The relationship between skin complexion and social outcomes: how colorism affects the lives of African-American women, 2013
Mathews, Tayler J.
2010-2019
Colorism continues to be a relevant topic of study because of its capacity to stratify within a marginalized community. The color hierarchy that values light complexions over dark specifically affects African-American women as these women are often treated and evaluated based solely on physicality. Empirically, women with light skin experience greater success in relationships, education, and employment. Furthermore, they report high levels of confidence. This quantitative study examines how colorism affects African-American college women's social capital and self-esteem. Utilizing Cooley's concept of the looking glass self as well as Gofiftnan's concept of stigma, a theoretical framework is established showing how society's judgments of dark-skinned African- American women negatively affect their self-perceptions. Results indicate that colorism is still a sensitive and complex phenomenon in the lives of African-American women.
text
application/pdf
2013-05-01
thesis
Master of Arts (MA)
Clark Atlanta University
School of Arts and Sciences, Sociology and Criminal Justice
Taylor, Sandra E. Offiong, Daniel A. Jones, Tara L.
Georgia--Atlanta
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:2013_mathews_tayler_j